Panathlon patron and Paralympian Nathan Maguire was a special guest at the Wrexham primary ten pin event on Wednesday 9 October.
And he had one of the most important jobs of the day – handing out stickers to competitors who scored either a spare or a strike.
“I don’t think I’ve ever given out so many stickers in my life!” he laughed. “It’s great, and it’s really nice that I have the opportunity to go around the room and see the excitement on everyone’s faces.
“Everybody loves bowling. A lot of the children here have never had the opportunity to bowl before, whether that’s because of their home situation or the special needs that they have, so giving them the chance to come outside their school, represent their school, and have fun as well is so important.”
One of the highlights of the morning was Nathan challenging one of the children in attendance – who also uses a wheelchair – to a good-natured race, and showing her some chair skills that he wished he had learnt in his childhood.
“For me, that’s what these events are all about. They’re about showing children with disabilities that they do have something to offer, that they are important, that they are valued.”
